NMSU softball dominates day one of classic

By bbagley

Created Mar 15 2014 - 10:53am

Saturday, March 15, 2014 - 10:53am

Las Cruces, NM — The New Mexico State softball team swept the first day of the Fresno State Classic, Friday, March 14. The Aggies began the day with a 9-4 win over Pacific before defeating Saint Mary’s 1-0. The Aggies improve to 17-11 this season.
Sophomore Brennalyn Nakamura led the day going 5-for-7 at the plate with two runs and an RBI. Common trend for the Aggies was sophomore Fiana Finau’s home run in game one. The three-run bomb set NM State above Pacific in game one.
Scoreless in the first two innings, the Aggies got on the board first as sophomore Tatum Reedy walked on base. Junior Chelsea Dohrwardt came in to pinch run for the catcher and was brought around to score off a sacrifice bunt and a pair of Aggie singles.
Pacific plated one in their half of the third; an unearned run as NM State riddled the game with two errors. A pair of singles put runners on base, but the run scored off an error and a walk.
Both teams had solid fourth innings as NM State scored three with big hits from the bottom half of the lineup. A double to left by junior Malena Padilla scored junior Kelsey Dodd from first, while Padilla rounded the bases on a single by Reedy, who finished the game 3-for-3.
The third Aggie run of the inning was off an RBI single by Nakamura after redshirt senior Kristi Covarrubia singled her way on base.
Three base hits loaded things up in the bottom of the inning for Pacific and a triple through the right side brought in the three runs, tying the game 4-4. The Aggies were able to stop Pacific in the final three innings, allowing just one more hit and found the winning rhythm as the solid hitting continued into the sixth inning.
A double and a pair of singles loaded things up for the Aggies in the top half of the sixth, bringing Finau to the plate for a three-run rocket over the left-center wall. Finau was then brought around off a single by junior Lacey Rother.
Leading 8-4 with just one out in the inning, NM State managed to score once more off a fielding error by Pacific that brought Rother in. The Aggies were silent in the seventh, but ended with the 9-4 win to start the tournament.
GAME TWO
A quick game two also went in favor of the Aggies as sophomore right-hander Makayla McAdams pitched a no-hitter through the first six innings, allowing just one hit in the top half of the seventh. She would pitch NM State to the win with four strikeouts and facing just 24 batters. She took the win and improved her record to 6-1 this season.
Saint Mary’s saw just four base runners in the game. The first two came in the top of the first off a walk and an Aggie error. NM State used a double play to end that inning, making the tag at first and getting it over to third in time.
While getting two hits in the first, the Aggies scored the lone run of the game in the bottom half of the second when Nakamura reached base on a fielder’s choice play and was brought around to score before a double play closed the inning.
NM State saw six more hits in the game, but eventually left four runners stranded. Nakamura and Padilla each went 2-for-3 on the day with a pair of singles.
The Aggies were only shut down in order in the fifth, but McAdams and the Aggie defense sent the Gaels away in four innings. McAdams walked one in the fourth and allowed the solo hit of the game to come in the top of the seventh.
The Aggies continue in Fresno on Saturday facing Colorado State at 7 p.m. and finishing the day against host Fresno State at 9:15 p.m. Live video stream of all the games can be found at NMStateSports.com by clicking the softball schedule page.